The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-12-24

~
NOW YOU'VE DONE IT."
it back. The pistol report was in his own
brain. She never had doubt of what was
done. The whole thing was d stinct, posi-
tive, swift, like bolt of lightning down the
| sky. The mans body came down with a
thump upon Steve's earthen floor
Let's get him into bed" said Steve,
| whispering, and whitened through all his
| auburn touzle by this catastrophe
| But the woman waved him back
Il didn't mean to-" solemniy stated the
| lone man.
| You didn't do it." she groaned, rocking
| the head on her arm. HE would have
killed you if you hadn't turned his pis-
tol, Oh, it had to come to this--it was COM
ing for years-it had 10 be one of us-and
| now | wish it was myself"
All of Steve's examination of heart and
| pulse and eyeball were of no avail The
man had died instantly His wife shrunk
with him from the examining touch Her
| cloak fell to the ground Her beautiful
wild face was pressed against the dead fore
| head. She shed no tears But Steve turned
| his back and stood still He could not en-
dure to look at her
! The roar of wind on the hills, and the
snow driving against his fire, suggested to
his mind the necessity of shutting The door.
| He got bit OF stone and drove the hinges
| back to place making as little noise as pos
| s.ble Then he closed it on its wooden
latch But some underlined Difference TO the
late wishes of that man on the floor kept
him from putting up bar
It also came to his mind that he would
have to go to Gallagher's for help So think
ing, he Logan 10 pu5 on his tattered over
coat and wrap his feet and .egs The woman
sat STILL moaning, with her eyes fixed on
the face aga ns5 her shoulder
At the post-mortem examination it ap-
peared that the pistol ball had ranged up
ward through the brain The body was
brought on litter across the snow and the
noun ain next d4y, and undertakes came
from Portland TO embaim and incloSe it for
| its last journey
| Until her friends arrived she depended
| upon the lone man. He enlisted the Gal
az hers to shelter and watch over her like
child and he bore all The brunt of inquiry.
He telegraphed to the addresses she gave
| him, and solemnly escorted from the .raiu
to her door group who arrived at the end
of two days
An! 'ery grand people they were A sen.
| Judges wife, a woman almost as beautiful
as the widow. They made brief lingering,
but the inhabitan were able to gat ler
some sat sfaction from them. The Judge.
who did the talking, admitted that the de-
ce Used had been subject to violent moods
anu NJ such times his fe Stood in extreme
| error of him. The Judge was in state of
compliment resignation. He sid he was
| glad the fellow would never be able 10 chase
that young girl as far from home again
She ni run before and had always taken to
the wilderness. He did not like to kick a
man when man was down. but truth was
mighty and would prevail, and the truth
in this case was that the deceased ought to
have hourishe1 his pistol in his own face
long before he did
Tbs Ions man stood on the railroad plat
form and helped lift long box into the
baggage car while the W dow and her
friends were embarking. He was too shy
60 bid her farewell, and she III owed hers Elf
to be helped to her place as If she had for
gotten him. BuC she had not forgo ten him.
She threw up her window and drew him
with betkonng fingers.
st we came s ouch ng under the window.
He felt lject bcneal that high bred beau
liful face which seemed to look beyond him.
Goodbye, Mr.. Barrymore Thank YOU"
she said, taking hold OF his hand
The lone man felt tn It she left papen
in h 8 hand, but he gave no S On of having
received tiny thing until the tram had
steamed away, and was lost among the
wind!ngs Of the hills The lone man thon
went cautiously up the mount in a bit, and
stood behind rock TO unfold h relic
1t was a draft from Antonia Smith to
Stephen Barrymore. for sum Of
money far beyond his modest dear OF
wellTn.
He was too shrewd to brag about it, or
show the token in its unsuls an .ial state.
H. went next day to Portland, and pre-
scented it at bank, where it was duly
honored. And shortly thereafter, his
chums around Ga'aghers were telling each
other that s eve Barrymore hld thrown up
his claim, and gone to San Francisco, and
that was the last that would be heard OF
Steve Barrymore on the Columbia
It was not the last, however For, the
next year so mon packer went down to
San Franc SEQ, and happened to meet the
lone man. So h. had Christmas ngh5s
story to tell of him ut Galagher's next
ball
Why, Steve's getting rich down there,
boys" slid ta.s envoy. He showed me a
building he owned, and he's go6 an office
that's carpeted, and he 1-Als in stocks, and
them Zig fellers seem to know him. ! o
years blue neckt.es. and it leaked out he's
! takln' danc.n' lessons, and, with all that,
he's the uneas est miserable fellow you
ever saw. l didn't say any thing, but
knowed he was aft II that Widow Smith,
you recolect; and I'll bet, before he gets
through h little dance, he'll wish he was
tack on the lone mans old claim, with his
toes to the cabin fire once more"
~ NARY HARTwEIL CApHERwoop